English–Japanese

“little bird” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajikotori

Example

庭に小鳥がいます。niwa ni ko tori ga i ma su

There is a little bird in the garden.

Illustration for 小鳥 (little bird)

How to say “little bird” in Japanese

“Little bird” in Japanese is 小鳥 (kotori).

Presents a bird by focusing on its small size rather than its species.

Full entry for 小鳥: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 小鳥

妹は図鑑で小鳥の名前を調べています。imōto wa zu kan de ko tori no na mae o shira be te i ma su

My younger sister is looking up the names of little birds in a picture book.

Tips for using 小鳥

  • The sound ことり (kotori, "a light, small sound") is also used as an onomatopoeic word, but it is written differently from 小鳥 (kotori, "little bird").

“little bird” in other languages